discoDSP's emulation of the Yamaha OPL2/OPL3 FM chip behind AdLib and Sound Blaster game audio, updated to v3.0 with all eight OPL3 waveforms per operator and 16x oversampling.
Plugin comparison
discoDSP OPL 3.0 vs FM8
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
8.4Great
FM8 is Native Instruments' digital FM synthesizer with eight operators and a modern interface, the successor to FM7.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | discoDSP OPL 3.0 | FM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 (free upgrade for existing owners) | $99.00 |
| Dubspot Score | — | 8.4 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | Standalone, VST, VST3, AU (macOS only), AAX |
| Synthesis | — | FM (frequency modulation) synthesis |
| Operators | — | 8 operators, freely combinable in algorithms |
| Presets | — | Over 1,200 presets |
| Effects | — | 12 built-in high-quality effects |
| Platforms | — | Windows (64-bit) and macOS (64-bit) |
| Plugin formats | — | VST, VST3, AAX (Win); VST, VST3, AU, AAX (Mac) |
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